Tuesday, July 29, 2025

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Trump Pledges Fast-Track for Nvidia’s $500 Billion Investment.

PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: NVIDIA plans a substantial investment in U.S. infrastructure to create AI supercomputers.

👥 Who’s Involved: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, President Donald J. Trump.

📍 Where & When: Arizona and Texas, announcement made on April 14, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “The engines of the world’s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time.” — Jensen Huang.

⚠️ Impact: Potential growth in U.S. chip manufacturing; concerns about the impact of tariffs on demand.

IN FULL:

Tech giant NVIDIA has announced a major push to manufacture artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputers in the United States, committing to a $500 billion investment. This marks the first time the company will build its AI infrastructure domestically. President Donald J. Trump responded to the announcement on Truth Social, emphasizing that necessary permits for NVIDIA and similar businesses will be expedited to support what he described as the “Golden Age of America.”

The initiative involves over a million square feet dedicated to the production and testing of NVIDIA’s specialized Blackwell chips in Arizona, alongside the assembly of AI supercomputers in Texas. This investment is expected to realize up to half a trillion dollars in AI infrastructure over the next four years.

NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, highlighted the strategic advantage of U.S.-based manufacturing. Huang stated it allows the company to better meet the demand for AI technology while fortifying supply chains and increasing operational resilience. “The engines of the world’s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time,” Huang said.

The announcement comes amid the Trump Administration’s stance that partial tariff waivers for electronics, such as phones and computer parts, are temporary. These waivers will remain until a new, industry-specific tariff strategy is devised. Trump’s economic strategy encourages global manufacturers to relocate production to the U.S.

The move by NVIDIA  comes after President Trump announced a significant investment by South Korean auto manufacturer Hyundai last month. The company will invest $21 billion in the United States. At least $5.8 billion of which will be invested in a new steel plant in Louisiana, providing over 1,400 jobs.

President Trump’s tariff policies have brought nearly all affected countries to the negotiating table except China. The Communist-led government has instead opted for its own retaliatory tariffs.

By Popular Demand.
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Ghislaine Maxwell Issues Conditions to Congress for Testimony.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Sex trafficker and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell has demanded concessions in exchange for cooperating with a congressional subpoena issued by House Oversight Chairman James Comer.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ghislaine Maxwell, her attorney David Oscar Markus, House Oversight Chairman James Comer, and the House Oversight Committee.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The subpoena was issued last week; Maxwell is currently serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tallahassee, Florida.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[I]f Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing—and eager—to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.,” said Markus.

🎯IMPACT: The Oversight Committee plans to respond to Maxwell’s attorney soon.

IN FULL

Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein to sex traffic underage girls, has demanded immunity or other concessions in exchange for cooperating with a subpoena issued by House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY). The subpoena seeks her deposition at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tallahassee, Florida, on August 11.

In a letter sent on July 29, Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, indicated that Maxwell’s “initial reaction” was to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights and decline to testify. However, he outlined “conditions” under which she might cooperate, including receiving questions in advance, scheduling the deposition after the Supreme Court decides on her petition to overturn her conviction, or granting her clemency.

Markus also warned that questioning Maxwell in prison without immunity would create “real security risks” and undermine the integrity of the process. He added, “Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing—and eager—to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.”

A spokesman for the Oversight Committee has stated that it “will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony” but will respond to Maxwell’s attorney soon. The demands follow meetings between Maxwell and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Maxwell reportedly named around a hundred people linked to Epstein and his activities, but so far, none of the names have been publicly released.

With the Trump administration under pressure for a recent memo stating that no Epstein “client list” exists—despite Attorney General Pam Bondi saying in February that it was “on [her] desk”—Maxwell and her lawyers are suspected to be behind recent efforts to tie President Donald J. Trump to the deceased pedophile, with Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, speculating that she may hope to “blackmail her way into a pardon.”

Additionally, the House Oversight panel recently voted to subpoena files related to Jeffrey Epstein and testimony from prominent figures, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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King Charles ‘Very Concerned’ Trump Will Criticize Mass Migration During State Visit: Report.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Europe’s handling of immigration on a visit to Scotland, calling it a “horrible invasion.” King Charles III is reportedly wary that the President could make similar comments when he hosts him for a state visit in September.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, King Charles, Nigel Farage, and unnamed royal sources.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump made the remarks on Friday during a visit to Scotland, ahead of a planned state visit to the United Kingdom in September.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You better get your act together or you’re not going to have Europe anymore.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Concerns have been raised by royal sources about potential political remarks during a state banquet.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump’s criticism of Europe’s lax immigration policies during his recent visit to Scotland is reportedly sparking concerns about his upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom in September, where he is expected to attend a banquet at Windsor Castle. The source, a civil servant described as close to the Royal Family, stated that “[King] Charles has spent his entire life promoting tolerance and compassion.”

“He will be appalled by what Trump said on Friday, which seems to be entirely driven by his domestic agenda, and will be very concerned about the possibility of a repeat of Trump’s outburst in September,” the royal source claimed in a recent media interview.

“If Trump starts sounding off about the evils of immigration to the cameras while the King is standing next to him, the King would find that hard to take,” said a source described as a “friend of the King.”

During his trip to Scotland last week, President Trump blasted European leaders for failing to stop a “horrible invasion” of illegal immigrants, arguing that the influx of foreign nationals is “killing Europe.” The America First leader issued a stern warning, saying, “You better get your act together or you’re not going to have Europe anymore.”

Immigration has been a contentious issue in the United Kingdom, with record numbers of small boats carrying illegal immigrants across the English Channel this year. Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has warned that the country is nearing “civil disobedience on a vast scale” over the crisis.

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UK PM Defends Crackdown on Internet Freedoms.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The United Kingdom implemented the Online Safety Act (OSA) last week, granting extensive censorship powers to the unelected regulator Ofcom and targeting online speech deemed “harmful.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ofcom, Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, and social media companies operating in Britain.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The legislation came into effect on Friday across the United Kingdom.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The OSA plunges this country into a borderline dystopian state.” – Zia Yusuf, Reform Party

🎯IMPACT: The act imposes significant fines on companies failing to comply, restricts free speech, and could set a dangerous precedent for online censorship.

IN FULL

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended the censorious Online Safety Act and insisted Britain “had free speech for a very, very long time” and will continue to do so. Critics argue the legislation marks the end of that tradition, which is already ineffective due to laws allowing people to be prosecuted for “grossly offensive” communications and other forms of expression by enabling widespread censorship under the guise of “online safety.”

The Online Safety Act, passed by the formerly governing Conservative (Tory) Party government but only effective from Friday, grants the unelected regulator Ofcom the power to enforce a “duty of care” on websites. Under this framework, social media companies must remove content Ofcom deems harmful or face fines of up to $24 million or 10 percent of global revenue, whichever is higher.

Ofcom’s definition of “harmful content” is broad, encompassing criticisms of government policies, including immigration and COVID-19 measures—not just sexually explicit content, as its defenders imply. Zia Yusuf, of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, described the act as plunging Britain into a “borderline dystopian state.” Farage himself has pledged to repeal the legislation if Reform takes over the government.

Social media platforms are now required to verify users’ ages and adjust algorithms to block inappropriate content for children. Critics argue this effectively censors conservative viewpoints and dissenting opinions, as the rules apply extraterritorially, potentially impacting American users. Notably, it has already restricted not only minors’ access to pornography, but also parliamentary debates on Muslim grooming gangs.

Some British Internet users have tried to bypass the legislation using Virtual Private Networks (VPN), which allow users to get around geographic-based restrictions online. Figures from within Stamrer’s Labour Party are mulling banning the use of VPNs in response.

The Trump administration has been urged to act against this legislation, with concerns that the Starmer government could collaborate with U.S. Democrats to bypass First Amendment protections for social media users.

Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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UK Grooming Gangs Scandal Widens: Police Officers Accused of Joining Abuse.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Five women, previously exploited by grooming gangs in Rotherham, England, allege they were also abused by police officers.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The allegations involve former officers of South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and victims of Muslim rape gangs.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The alleged incidents occurred in Rotherham between the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There has been no accountability in the town—and without accountability, there will continue to be a distrust of South Yorkshire Police.” – Amy Clowrey, Switalskis Solicitors

🎯IMPACT: A new investigation led by SYP’s major crime unit is underway, with oversight from the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).

IN FULL

In Rotherham, England, five women who were victims of Muslim grooming gangs as children have come forward with allegations of abuse by police officers as well. One woman recounts being raped by a South Yorkshire Police officer in a marked vehicle, under the threat of being handed back to her abusers if she resisted.

The Jay Report of 2014 previously identified that over 1,400 mostly white girls were abused by gangs comprised mostly of Pakistani-heritage Muslim men in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. The new investigation by SYP’s major crime unit seeks to address the involvement of police officers in these heinous acts. However, Professor Alexis Jay, who led the initial inquiry, expressed her shock at SYP’s self-investigation, and suggested that an independent body should handle it.

The BBC reports it has seen testimony from 30 women, with allegations of police officers’ misconduct during the same period they were targeted by grooming gangs. These accounts have been collected by Switalskis Solicitors, who are also pursuing a civil claim against the police force. “There has been no accountability in the town—and without accountability, there will continue to be a distrust of South Yorkshire Police,” Amy Clowrey of the Switalskis Solicitors stated.

“I’m sure that the full truth in terms of the level of corruption and the extent of it in Rotherham has yet to come out,” said another member of the law firm.

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UK Threatens to Recognize Palestinian State Unless Israel Meets Aid Demands.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September if Israel does not take steps to alleviate the crisis in Gaza.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald J. Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and other members of the British cabinet.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Starmer’s announcement followed an emergency virtual Cabinet meeting over the weekend and discussions with international leaders.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering now in Gaza because of a catastrophic failure of aid. We see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end.” – Keir Starmer

🎯IMPACT: Starmer’s decision puts pressure on Israel to act and has sparked debate within the British Cabinet and internationally.

IN FULL

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that his government will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Britain’s recognition is being positioned as conditional, hinging on actions including ending “starvation tactics,” agreement to a ceasefire, and a commitment to a comprehensive peace process.

“The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering now in Gaza because of a catastrophic failure of aid,” Starmer said. “We see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end.”

The issue of recognizing Palestinian statehood has sparked debate within Starmer’s Cabinet. Senior Labour figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, back the recognition, while others, such as Chancellor Rachel Reeves, have expressed concern, warning that the move could potentially “reward Hamas.”

In recent days, Starmer met with President Donald J. Trump in Scotland to discuss the crisis. Trump has said he and Starmer “never discussed” the issue, but that his position is that recognizing Palestinian statehood is indeed “rewarding Hamas,” and he is “not about to do that.”

However, the America First leader has been at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks, disagreeing with him, for instance, that children in Gaza are not starving, and—like Starmer—pressuring for more food aid. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday, the President noted that First Lady Melania Trump has been gripped by the “terrible” images from Gaza, explaining, “She sees the same pictures that you see. And that we all see… [T]hose are kids that are starving. They are starving.”

European leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are also signaling support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street.

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By Popular Demand.
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Trump EPA Prepares to ‘Drive a Dagger Into the Heart of the Climate Change Religion.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a proposal to rescind the legal basis for federal regulation of gas-powered vehicle emissions and electric vehicle (EV) mandates established during the Obama administration.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, former EPA Chief of Staff Mandy Gunasekara, and legal experts including Steve Milloy and Michael Buschbacher.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This will basically drive a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion.” – Lee Zeldin

🎯IMPACT: If finalized, the proposal could dismantle the regulatory framework for federal climate policies, reshaping the U.S. energy and environmental landscape.

IN FULL

The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding issued under the Obama administration. This finding declared greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane, as threats to public health, enabling sweeping federal climate regulations.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposal on Tuesday morning, stating, “This will basically drive a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion.” The 2009 finding has been the foundation for numerous regulations, including those targeting vehicle emissions, coal-fired power plants, and methane emissions from oil and gas operations.

The Biden government had relied on the same finding to enforce electric vehicle (EV) mandates and other climate policies. Former EPA chief of staff Mandy Gunasekara noted, “It is the activating document to the entirety of our substantive greenhouse gas regulations.” Steve Milloy, a senior legal fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, added, “If they get rid of the endangerment finding, then the rationale for all federal action on climate kind of goes away.”

The proposal, if finalized, would empower the EPA to reverse regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions, potentially reducing regulatory burdens on industries reliant on fossil fuels. However, legal experts, including Michael Buschbacher, caution that the proposal may face significant legal challenges. “Unless this is done really, really well, this has the potential of being a kind of regulatory Vietnam,” he said.

Notably, Zeldin and Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright both contend that the EPA can rescind the Obama-era greenhouse gas finding under the legal framework created by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo ruling, which dramatically altered the legal principle of Chevron deference.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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By Popular Demand.
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Convicted Child Sex Offender Purchases Baby Through Surrogacy.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A man featured in a surrogacy video has been identified as a registered child sex offender, raising concerns over his parental role.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Former teacher Brandon Keith Mitchell, a convicted sex offender, and his husband, Logan Riley, a second-grade teacher.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Pennsylvania, with details coming to light in July 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As always in cases like this, where a teacher had access to hundreds of students over multiple years, authorities are concerned that there may be other victims out there.” – District Attorney Chief of Staff Charles Gaza, following Mitchell’s arrest in 2016.

🎯IMPACT: The case raises questions about surrogacy laws and the immediate safety of the child.

IN FULL

Brandon Keith Mitchell, a Tier 1 sex offender in Pennsylvania, has been identified as one of the men featured in a viral video celebrating the surrogacy journey of a homosexual couple. The video, which showed Mitchell and his husband Logan Riley holding their baby, initially gained attention after Irish activist Derek Blighe posted it on social media. “Unless a miracle happens, this child has almost no chance at a normal life,” Blighe wrote.

Mitchell, a former chemistry teacher, was convicted in 2016 for soliciting a 16-year-old student for nude photos and videos and engaging in explicit “sexts.” Authorities found over 12,000 text messages exchanged with the victim, as well as hundreds of explicit videos stored on Mitchell’s devices. He pleaded guilty to felony child pornography possession and Corruption of Minors, serving just two months of a 23-month sentence before being released on parole.

Mitchell and Riley married in 2021 and launched a GoFundMe campaign in 2023 to raise funds for surrogacy. The fundraiser detailed their plans to use a gestational surrogate and highlighted the rigorous medical and legal processes involved. Despite a goal of $50,000, the campaign raised only $2,000. In November 2023, the couple announced they had successfully found a surrogate to carry their child.

Concerns have been raised about Mitchell’s parental role, given his criminal history. The Pennsylvania State Police confirmed that state laws do not automatically prohibit convicted sex offenders from having children or exercising parental rights. Surrogacy laws, which allow intended parents to be legally recognized through pre-birth orders, bypass restrictions that apply to adoption or foster care.

This case has reignited debates on surrogacy and the legal loopholes that enable predatory adults with serious criminal convictions to gain custody of children. Critics argue that more stringent regulations are needed to protect the welfare of children born through such arrangements.

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Sydney Sweeney ‘Great Jeans’ Campaign Sparks ‘Nazi Propaganda’ Meltdown.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Sydney Sweeney’s new American Eagle ad campaign has received backlash from left-wing media outlets and social media users over its tagline, which they irrationally believe promotes white supremacy and eugenics.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sydney Sweeney, American Eagle, and far-left social media users critical of the campaign.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The campaign launched ahead of the back-to-school shopping season, with ads appearing in New York City, Las Vegas, and online.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Maybe I’m too f***ing woke. But getting a blue-eyed, blonde, white woman and focusing your campaign around her having perfect genetics feels weird,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

🎯IMPACT: The campaign has drawn criticism for its messaging while also raising funds for domestic violence awareness through sales of “The Sydney Jean.”

IN FULL

Sydney Sweeney’s collaboration with American Eagle has sparked outrage among radical leftists on social media due to the campaign’s tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes,” which was later altered to say “Jeans.” Progressive and left-wing activists and newspapers, such as The Guardian, argue that the phrase “great genes” has historically been associated with eugenics.

The campaign features Sweeney, a blonde, blue-eyed white actress widely known for her attractiveness, in various promotional materials for the limited-run “Sydney Jean.” MSNBC denounced the ads as symbolic of “an unbridled cultural shift toward whiteness,” with producer Hannah Holland claiming that “The internet has been quick to condemn the advertisement as noninclusive at best and as overtly promoting ‘white supremacy’ and ‘Nazi propaganda’ at worst.”

Some far-left social media users, amplified by the media, claimed the campaign’s messaging was “tone deaf,” with one commenting on X (formerly Twitter), “This is what happens when you have no people of color in a room.”

“Maybe I’m too f***ing woke. But getting a blue-eyed, blonde, white woman and focusing your campaign around her having perfect genetics feels weird,” another X user wrote. Others have tried to bizarrely claim the American Eagle name itself is a reference to Nazi and fascist iconography.

Despite the backlash, the campaign has a charitable component. American Eagle announced that 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of “The Sydney Jean” will be donated to Crisis Text Line, a non-profit providing confidential mental health support. The jeans also feature a butterfly motif representing domestic violence awareness.

American Eagle’s Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers described the media buy for this campaign as “significantly more” than previous efforts, emphasizing its importance ahead of the back-to-school shopping season. The retailer has faced financial challenges, including a $68 million adjusted operating loss in the first quarter, adding pressure for the campaign to perform well.

The controversy follows other headline-grabbing ventures by Sweeney, including the launch of a soap product containing her bathwater, which sold out quickly and later appeared on reseller platforms for inflated prices. Notably, after the American Eagle ad campaign launched, the company saw its stock value spike, with investors speculating the association with Sweeney would boost sales.

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Trump Tariffs Win as U.S. Goods Trade Deficit Narrows Significantly.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. goods trade deficit narrowed sharply in June, exceeding economists’ expectations, as imports fell significantly.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Commerce Department reported the data, with economists and analysts tracking the trade balance.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The report was released Tuesday, covering trade activity in June 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The narrowing deficit is expected to boost second-quarter GDP, with a smaller trade gap reducing its drag on economic growth.

IN FULL

A sharp drop in imports drove a significant narrowing in the U.S. trade deficit in June, with impacts particularly seen in consumer goods. The Commerce Department published data on Tuesday that shows the trade gap in goods narrowed to $86.0 billion, down from $96.4 billion in May—suggesting that President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs are successfully rebalancing the economy in favor of American producers. Economists had projected a deficit of an estimated $99 billion.

U.S. exports dropped only 0.6 percent to $178.2 billion, while imports dropped 4.2 percent to $264.2 billion. The drop in imports was primarily driven by a 12.4 percent drop in consumer goods imports. Notably, the slide in consumer goods imports—a category that includes items such as apparel, electronics, and household products—was the largest month-to-month decline seen in over a year.

The importation of industrial materials fell by 5.5 percent, while automotive part imports fell by a more modest 2.0 percent. Economists now expect the falling U.S. trade deficit to boost the 2nd Quarter gross domestic product (GDP), with an initial estimate set to be published in August.

Year-over-year data shows that the goods trade deficit fell by approximately 13 percent, or $12.8 billion. Meanwhile, exports rose 3.6 percent, with imports sliding 2.5 percent.

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CCP Moves to Expand Influence Over Panama Canal After Derailing U.S. Ports Deal.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A proposed deal between U.S.-based BlackRock and China’s CK Hutchison involving the transfer of international ports, including two in Panama, has collapsed amidst pressure from Beijing.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: BlackRock, CK Hutchison, China’s state-owned shipping giant Cosco, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The deal collapsed on Monday, impacting 43 ports across 23 countries, including the Panama Canal ports of Balboa and Cristobal.

💬KEY QUOTE: President Trump has previously stated, “China is operating the Panama Canal, and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama—and we’re taking it back.”

🎯IMPACT: The failed deal raises concerns about U.S. strategic interests in the region.

IN FULL

China is poised to increase its influence over the Panama Canal following the breakdown of a proposed agreement between U.S. investment giant BlackRock and Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison. The collapse of this $23 billion deal, initially met with criticism from Beijing, leaves the future of control over dozens of strategic international ports uncertain, including two positioned at either end of the Panama Canal.

The original agreement would have shifted ownership of 43 ports across 23 countries to a consortium involving BlackRock. Among those were the Balboa and Cristobal ports in Panama, which have been operated by CK Hutchison since 1997.

President Donald J. Trump had praised the collapsed deal, describing it as a step toward curbing China’s presence in the region. Referencing America’s former control over the canal, Trump had said, “China is operating the Panama Canal, and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama—and we’re taking it back.” The canal was handed over to Panama by the U.S. in 1999 following a 1977 treaty brokered by Democrat former President Jimmy Carter.

Amid rising pressure from Chinese authorities and concerns over a potential anti-monopoly investigation, CK Hutchison announced this week that its exclusive negotiation window with BlackRock had ended. However, the company left the door open for future restructuring of the deal. In a statement, CK Hutchison said it would “remain open to discussions with a view to inviting a major strategic investor from the [People’s Republic of China] to join as a significant member of the consortium.” The firm added that it believed “changes in deal structure and participant makeup are necessary to gain approval from all relevant authorities.”

One analyst, Dane Chamorro of Control Risks, suggested that while China may ultimately be left out of the Panama portion of the port portfolio, it could still walk away with control over many of the other global assets involved. “China will insist this be the quid pro quo: that the other global ports have Cosco participation. And obviously, Cosco is already a major global port holder,” he noted.

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